KTM 525 EXC Racing reviews

This is the second KTM I have ever owned and I can not believe this bike. It out performs all my others. It is very powerful and user friendly. It is often too much to handle if that is at all possible in a dirt bike. It chews up back tires like nothing at all. I can not think of one bad thing to say about this bike. I say hats off to KTM for building such awesome bikes. Show less

Love my KTM. My last ride, a Honda 500 dual sport, feels like I'm dragging a boat anchor after being on the little KaTOOM. Very tuneable bike. Easy to jet and adjust the exhaust valve for power the way I want it. Switch between lots of tractable bottom end grunt with a smooth midrange and flat on top for tight woods; or, a bit of weak 'burble' down low with a bone-jarring midrange 'hit' that begs to pull the front end over in 4th, with lots of top-end and overrev for the more open trails. A handful of jets and small adjustments of the power valve governer is all it takes. She lugs well, with suprising bottom end torque for a small engine (I'm used to a big thumper), doesn't foul plugs (even though I jet a bit on the rich side-I learned early on-the hard way!)and she smashes through or skips over everything I point her at. Very forgiving when taking a jump poorly and landing crossed up, or nose down. A real confidence builder for the novice to intermediate rider like myself. The downsides I found: the seat is as hard as a rock (which forces better standing technique-maybe a good thing? the rear has a tendency to kick out a bit unexpectantly; and the bike I bought was the street-legal EU/AU version which was de-tuned -it took a bit of experimentation to find the carb, power-valve and suspension settings that work best for me. The quality of the bike is obvious just looking at the engineering, machining and attention to detail. I rode a new Husq 250 for a couple of days-and really liked it, but found the 200 KaTOOM virtually the same for power and easier to throw around in the woods. It's like a 125 on steroids! Show less

So far I am very happy with this bike. It has a ton of torque and plenty of top end. The quality of all the parts are great. I have always been an owner of Japanese bikes, but I have to say I don't think I will go back anytime soon. The only negatives are that the seat is not very comfortable, and they don't come with a spark arrestor... Easy fix. Show less

I have had the bike for about one yr and I can tell you it is fast. It can be a hand full on the tight stuff, but manageble. I had to work on suspension due to my weight. On the right hands this bike will not fall behind others. Tight places work best, plenty of pull on the flat (not as fast as 400cc) obviously... but if you drop it easy to pick up and the ride goes on. Bullet proof reliability and I never run out of power. The front end gets a little nervous on the sand, easly resolved with a dumper. I am a mid level rider and for my level of skills this bike has it all. Show less

Changed from an XR650 to this bike, superb! It feels like a 250 in weight and a 750 in power. If you need more power than this, your name must be kini! I'll keep you posted as to reliability etc, but so far so good. Why don't KTM dealers keep any part stock? Everytime I want something it has to come from Austria! As we have have said before, no-one makes a perfect bike, but for me, this is so close! Show less

I already wrote a review so I just wanted to write another to submit a picture. I'm pleased with this bikes performance. Very predictable and easy to ride and it has lots of torque and speed that most of the time can never be totally used, unless you're riding it on the highway. Besides my last complaints that I wrote, on the other review, the only other things negative about this bike is that the hardware tends to stip out easy, due to the fact that most of it is aluminum, and the clutch case leaks a little oil sometimes. Other then that, the 525 is a beast. Show less

I LOVE THIS BIKE! This thing handles great everywhere. It has awesome torque and top end. When the conditions are muddy, everyone on the motocrossers start to sigh and this thing will tear any bike to shreds in the mud! In the rocks, this bikes weight and power are perfect for tackling some of the toughest rock gardens. Then, in the dust, as long as you can see where you are going, this bike will fly. All in all, this bike hooks up great in every thing and I highly reccommend this bike for off road racing. Show less

This bike is an amazing bike. It has lots of power and feels like you can go any speed on the trails. It feels like a Raptor 660 on 2 wheels. This is a lot of bike. It clocks out at 110+. Show less

The 200 EXC is an awesome bike. The motor is sick with plenty of low end torque and decent top end. The trick is to ride it like a four stroke and short shift it.(ok not quite as short a fourstroke) I can easily pull 5th gear power wheelies with no clutch. The motor has to be the best thing about this bike. I had the suspension revalved by factory connection because the stock was a little weird for me. This is an awesome bike. don't let the 200 fool you. I've seen too many people on this site saying they should have bought something like a CR230F. The 200EXC has the top end power of a japanese 250 and much more torque than a 250F. 2 STROKES FOR LIFE! Show less

I am 45 yrs old and love to get out into the mountains and ride the tight trails. This bike gives you the option of 3 power valve springs, all color coated, that are easy to exchange. I prefer the green spring. It gives you usable power on the bottom, and quick zip at any time( the most even delivery of power). This bike makes me a much better rider than I really am. I love it; all I can do is smile. Almost every one I ride with has plans to switch to KTM. I will never own anything else - It's that good! Show less